Two dogs and their dad are on dry land today after a harrowing rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard last week. The trio had quite the fright after getting stranded in their boat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, about 45 miles west of Victoria British Columbia.
Dogs in a Perfect Storm
The group had been sailing, but one night, west of the Jordan river, the boat lost power. There was a storm warning in effect for the area. And, faced with wind gusts of 40 – 50 knots, the boat grounded. Large waves began slamming it into the rocks.
Luckily, someone was able to call the U.S. Coast Guard for help. It dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Port Angeles, Washington. Around 1 a.m., the Coast Guard pulled the man and one of his dogs out of the boat. They brought them to the Canadian Coast Guard Station in Victoria to receive emergency medical service.
No Dog Left Behind
It wasn’t until later that morning that the Coast Guard returned to the stranded sailboat scene to check for salvage potential and pollution issues. They instead discovered the second dog. A brave swimmer rescued the pup and hoisted it on board. They then all returned to Victoria.
“AET3 Austen Marshall and AST1 Lucas Wengrin did a phenomenal job effecting a challenging rescue in the heavy surf as the sailing vessel smashed against the rocks,” Lt. John Schultz, a pilot at Air Station Port Angeles, said in a news release.
“Their patience and technical expertise in a highly dynamic environment directly lead to the safe recovery of the mariner and his two dogs,” the news release continued. “We are thankful for the happy outcome!”
As far as we know the dogs and their dad are now safe, dry, and probably not going to go sailing again anytime soon – at least, not without checking the weather forecast first!
